An easy way to tell it was St. Anne’s-Belfield’s girls soccer squad’s first state title in program history?
A couple of players actually asked head coach Mark O’Donnell if it was okay to douse him with the water jug in the postgame huddle. O’Donnell suggested instead the team go out for dessert.
“I wanted the ice cream. I would’ve been happy with the ice cream,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell instead gladly accepted his politely-requested bath while celebrating the Saints’ 2-0 victory over Collegiate Saturday night. The victory wrapped up an incredible run for a squad with just a single senior on the roster that was seeded fourth in the tournament and had to oust No. 1 St. Catherine’s Friday in the semifinals.
“There’s about five state (level) players on this team and everybody else raised their game,” O’Donnell said. “It was really a total team effort.”
Kylie Hegemier, named the VISAA Division I player of the year after the game, ignited the Saints, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes of the first half to give STAB a 2-0 advantage before the break. Hegemier made the first goal happen by sheer force of will, battling the Collegiate keeper for the ball off a Haley Kent entry pass, then guiding the ball into the nearly open net after the goalie fell down near the top of the box.
The second was more traditional as she hit a right-footed shot toward the left goalpost to finish off a run.
“Amazing,” said STAB goalie Lauren Gampper. “She’s always there picking me up. Yesterday I let in one early. Today she brought us through, she just put us on her back.”
Gampper and the defense took over in the second half, keeping Collegiate from making a run and eventually shutting out the No.7-seeded Cougars. The Saints continually snuffed out runs by Collegiate’s speedy, talented forwards, with Gampper often coming up with loose ball pickups.
“We just let them give us the ball when they got in our half,” Gampper said. “We just stayed really tight and cut off passing lanes.”
Haley Kent, a versatile midfielder who seems to take on whatever role the Saints need from her on any given night, gave STAB a physical, tough presence in the center of the field and on the defensive end. Kent made sure the Saints weren’t pushed around by a tough Collegiate squad that’s a perennial powerhouse in Division I girls soccer.
Madi Mazola was also a critical part of the defensive effort, showcasing a strong leg that kept blasting the ball out of the zone. The rest of the backline continually put the brakes on Collegiate’s attempts to get a good look at the goal.
The Saints, understandably, got a little loose in the closing minutes, but they did manage to melt the clock with several long boots into the corners that forced Collegiate to advance the ball the length of the field. At long last the center official blew the whistle and set off a wild celebration.
STAB’s young squad came together nicely during the season, gaining confidence with big wins like the one against Division 2 champion Tandem Friends and learning from narrow losses like the ones against St. Catherine’s
“Their commitment to each other, their effort in practice and the way they conduct themselves at school, it’s just phenomenal,” O’Donnell said.
